Outside the Imperial Palace, Matsunaga was pacing around excitedly, asking questions to his confidants.
"How is it? Have the envoys who went in to see you come back? What did the imperial office say?"
The Ji warrior bowed and answered.
"Young Master, we have just entered. Please be patient and wait for a moment."
Matsunaga nodded, but his impatience could not be eased.
Today is the day for her to make a name for herself. She has been planning with Miyoshi Yoshitsugi for a long time, aiming at success in going to Luo and starting a big business.
Thinking of Matsunaga Hide, she still felt uneasy. You would be very angry if you did such a big thing without telling your mother, right? But she also thinks about the Matsunaga family.
The Matsunaga family are three good retainers. If the main family goes to Luo to dominate, the chickens and dogs of the family will ascend to heaven. This is a great thing.
When things are settled and the family business is prosperous, my mother will definitely not blame me. Instead, she will praise me for being a better person.
Matsunaga was thinking about what was on his mind, and there was a hint of joy in the corner of his mouth. At this moment, there was a sudden commotion in a corner surrounding the Imperial Palace.
She looked towards the commotion in surprise, but her sight was blocked by the high wall and she couldn't see anything, so she ordered.
"Go and see what happened."
Before she finished speaking, a warrior Ji rode up from afar, fell in front of her, and shouted.
"Young Master! It's not good!
I don’t know whose military force was evil. He was blinded by the wealth of the imperial palace, became greedy, and even broke into the imperial palace without permission!
One family took action, and the others were also tempted, and they all rushed into the imperial palace! "
Matsunaga was shocked when she heard about it. She was blocked in front of the imperial palace. Now something happened behind her, which was in the direction of the imperial palace!
The shogun sent the Ashikaga warriors to Sakamoto Castle, and he took the servants to Nijo Castle. There were not many escorts in the imperial palace.
Thinking of the rude and greedy virtues of the local martial arts families under his command, Matsunaga was immediately frightened and cursed.
"Go! Go and suppress them. We must not let them rush into the imperial palace and disturb the nobles!"
Just as she was yelling and cursing, the noise in the imperial palace was getting louder and louder, accompanied by the howling of the Ji warrior and the whining of the servants.
Matsunaga Michi looked desperately at the palace as fire and smoke ignited. She clearly gave strict orders not to attack the Imperial Palace, why? Why are things like this?
The sound of horse hoofbeats came from far to near, and Matsuzuki Nagahide finally arrived at the imperial palace with his flag.
When she saw the palace on fire, she almost fell off her horse. Matsunaga rushed up to help her off the horse and gave her a hard slap in the face.
"Beast! What have you done! How dare you order an attack on the Imperial Palace! Are you crazy!"
Matsunaga plopped down and knelt down to his mother, trembling.
"Mother, it's really not me, I don't have it.
I clearly ordered all the families to restrain their military strength, but I don't know who got greedy and rushed into the imperial palace, leading all the concubines to defy the order. "
"Not you?"
Matsunaga sensed a hint of conspiracy, which is what she does best.
She recalled that Akechi Mitsuhide invited her to Fushimi Castle, and Honda Masanobu coaxed his daughter into besieging the imperial palace and then lured her here.
Looking at the burning imperial palace, Matsuzuki Nagahide knew that he had been tightly tied by a big net and there was no possibility of escape. The only thing that can be done now is to survive.
She said solemnly.
"Take Tadashi's cronies and go in with me. We must protect the Odai and do not allow the Odai and Ashikaga Teru-kun to be harassed.
do you understand! "
Matsunaga nodded, called for his flag to follow, and rushed into the imperial palace with his mother to protect the heirs of the Ashikaga Shogun family.
———
Royal platform, in the main hall.
The male officer heard the commotion outside and became restless. He looked at the indifferent expression of Odaisuo and bowed.
"Da Yutai Suo, would you like to stay away?"
Da Yutai shook his head and said gently.
“It can’t be avoided.
From the moment Yihui took action, I knew that this day would come sooner or later. Ask the waiter to go to the dining room to get some firewood, grain and grass and pile them here to prepare for lighting the fire. "
The male officer's eyes widened and he kowtowed to the ground.
"I dare not accept the imperial edict, so please think twice! You are worth a thousand gold, and those people will never dare to be disrespectful to you!
You must never have the thought of committing suicide! "
Ootaisho sighed and said.
“It is true that they have no intention of harming me, but they will use me to coerce my daughter.
I know Yihui's temperament. Although he is a little stronger, he is still filial. Her mother passed away early, and it was her and I who relied on each other to get through these years.
She couldn't bear to see me suffer, and she would definitely feel wronged. But with her proud temperament, how could she swallow such a sigh of relief? She would probably become depressed and ill afterwards.
I have already been kicked out of Kyoto once with my ancestors, now I have to suffer humiliation again with my daughter? One cannot be shameless.
I have lived enough, and it’s time to go down below and spend time with my ancestors. To be honest, I have really missed her in the past few years and always dreamed of talking to her.
Don't hurt your daughter, let's go, let's go. "
Da Yutai's voice was erratic, his eyes looked far away, and gradually lost focus.
The male officer wiped his tears and swallowed.
"What about His Highness Huijun? You can't just ignore him?"
Da Yutai's empty pupils suddenly focused and shrank, and he looked at the male officer and said.
"Although we are master and servant, we have been inseparable these years. I have long regarded you as a brother. Before I die, can I ask you one more thing?"
The male officer fell to the ground and cried.
"Please give me your instructions from the Great Imperial Palace."
"Go to Teru-kun's boudoir to find him and take him through the secret passage. Remember, Akechi Mitsuhide and Ninagawa Makoto are both unreliable!
You take Teru-kun to Minami-Omi, find Wada Noimasa, and Niki Yoshimasa. There are also the Ashikaga family members of the Uzumaki family in Sakamoto Castle. They will definitely protect you.
How Yihui will compete with those martial arts families in the future is up to her. I want Huijun to be safe, as long as he is safe, nothing else. "
The male officer burst into tears and couldn't bear to look at the grand palace.
Da Yutai sighed.
"If you don't leave, I will die with my eyes open. You know I don't care about anything but my children."
the male officer asked.
"Where's the one at Kofukuji Temple... Should we..."
Da Yutai looked melancholy and shook his head.
"I can't care less. I hope she is a lucky child and can be blessed in times of trouble, even if I, the father, can't help her."
The Grand Imperial Palace finally couldn't hold back the tears. The male officer gritted his teeth and fell to the ground, bid farewell to the Imperial Palace and hurried out of the hall.
———
In the imperial palace, the loyal servants moved firewood, grain and grass into the main hall.
On the periphery, the few remaining Ashikaga Ihime samurai warriors in the imperial palace gathered near the imperial palace to block the invading enemy forces.
I don't know who accidentally lit the first fire, and the wooden imperial platform quickly turned into a sea of flames, burning all the way to the entire imperial palace.
The autumn air is crisp, the wind is dry, and the fire in the sky dyes the sky above Kyoto red, like a farewell to the declining family of the Ashikaga shogun.
Ashikaga Teru-kun woke up slowly and felt a splitting headache.
"It hurts."
She looked outside in a daze, only to see the light of fire rising toward the sky from the direction of the imperial platform, and she woke up in shock.
"Father!"
Regardless of the dizziness caused by being knocked unconscious, she struggled to stand up, but found that the clothes she was wearing did not fit her and she was changed into a valet uniform.
